Florentino Pérez

Florentino Pérez has restored Real Madrid's international prestige. During his two periods in charge of the club he has won 37 titles across the two disciplines, including four European Cups in football and one in basketball. He has put the institution's finances in good shape, transforming it into the richest club in the world. He has also carried out a complete overhaul of all aspects of the organisation which has led to Real Madrid becoming the “most valuable sports club in the world”, in the words of Forbes magazine.

An engineer and businessman, Florentino Pérez took up the presidency in July 2000 after beating Lorenzo Sanz, who was head of the club at the time. Under his management, star signings such as Figo, Zidane, Beckham and Ronaldo arrived. The quality of his football and basketball sides led to eight trophies.

His first period in charge was also notable for the stadium improvements carried out under the 'Santiago Bernabéu Master Plan'. The arena was recognised by UEFA as an 'Elite Stadium' and hosted the final of the Champions League in 2010. In 2006, Ciudad Real Madrid - a training complex ten times bigger than Madrid's previous facilities - was opened at Valdebebas.

In 2004 he was re-elected by a majority vote and two years later he voluntarily stood down. In 2009 he returned to begin his second spell which was marked by on-field signings which included Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, James Rodríguez and Toni Kroos. The titles claimed under his leadership include three European Cups (2014, 2016 and 2017) and three Club World Cups. In addition to these triumphs, the football team has also won two La Liga crown, three European Super Cup, two Copa del Rey titles and two Spanish Super Cups. In basketball there have also been successes both domestically and internationally, with two European Cups, an Intercontinental Cup, three League titles, five Copa del Reys and three Spanish Super Cups.

Florentino Pérez has spent over a decade at the helm of the club and has continued its process of modernisation with the construction of the first-team and academy residences located within Ciudad Real Madrid.